The Middle East

While advanced economies generate the vast majority of insurance and reinsurance business, emerging markets are posting higher rates of growth. Complementing this underlying trend is a strong and expanding interest in catastrophic risk, which by nature tends to pertain to emerging markets. This is coming alongside fast-paced, sector-...

Despite difficult economic conditions, Oman’s insurers have succeeded in posting consistent net profits in recent years. With the economy recovering from the decline in global oil prices starting at the end of 2014, the industry is well positioned to take advantage of new opportunities. This is especially true as the government moves to...

GCC countries have long appreciated the importance of education for their sustained development. However, the sector, and higher education in particular, has risen as a priority over the past decade with the launch of ambitious economic diversification plans across the region. These strategies seek to harness the potential of the GCC’s...

The global economic recovery has strengthened, and a growth rate of 3.9% has returned in 2018 and 2019, with 75% of the world economy sharing in the upturn. Yet this tide is not lifting this region enough. Of course, there are differences among countries. For oil exporters, oil prices have rebounded to halfway between their lows and their...

One of the positive outcomes of the decline in oil prices over 2015 and 2016 has been a surge in activity in the GCC’s debt market. With oil revenues shrinking, governments around the Arabian Gulf have sought alternative sources of funding for their spending programmes, and the issuance of sovereign bonds has proved a useful solution for many...